diff --git a/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/components/canvas/SpecRenderer.tsx b/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/components/canvas/SpecRenderer.tsx
index d60fa1c0..6126af70 100644
--- a/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/components/canvas/SpecRenderer.tsx
+++ b/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/components/canvas/SpecRenderer.tsx
@@ -560,9 +560,10 @@ function SpecRendererInner({
           // clear the target's source to avoid stale runnable config.
           if (sourceType === 'extractor' && (targetType === 'objective' || targetType === 'constraint')) {
             updateNode(edge.target, {
-              // Setting to an empty object would violate schema; clear to placeholder
-              // and let validation catch missing wiring.
-              source: { extractor_id: '', output_name: '' },
+              // Objective/constraint.source is required by schema.
+              // Use explicit UNSET placeholders so validation can catch it
+              // without risking accidental execution.
+              source: { extractor_id: '__UNSET__', output_name: '__UNSET__' },
             }).catch((err) => {
               console.error('Failed to clear source on node:', err);
               setError(err.message);
diff --git a/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/components/canvas/panels/NodeConfigPanelV2.tsx b/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/components/canvas/panels/NodeConfigPanelV2.tsx
index aa677d5b..271c05c8 100644
--- a/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/components/canvas/panels/NodeConfigPanelV2.tsx
+++ b/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/components/canvas/panels/NodeConfigPanelV2.tsx
@@ -820,6 +820,34 @@ interface ObjectiveNodeConfigProps {
 }
 
 function ObjectiveNodeConfig({ node, onChange }: ObjectiveNodeConfigProps) {
+  const spec = useSpec();
+  const extractors = spec?.extractors || [];
+
+  const currentExtractorId = node.source?.extractor_id || '__UNSET__';
+  const currentOutputName = node.source?.output_name || '__UNSET__';
+
+  const selectedExtractor = extractors.find((e) => e.id === currentExtractorId);
+  const outputOptions = selectedExtractor?.outputs?.map((o) => o.name) || [];
+
+  const handleExtractorChange = (extractorId: string) => {
+    // Reset output_name to a sensible default when extractor changes
+    const ext = extractors.find((e) => e.id === extractorId);
+    const outs = ext?.outputs?.map((o) => o.name) || [];
+    const preferred = outs.includes('value') ? 'value' : outs[0] || '__UNSET__';
+
+    onChange('source', {
+      extractor_id: extractorId,
+      output_name: preferred,
+    });
+  };
+
+  const handleOutputChange = (outputName: string) => {
+    onChange('source', {
+      extractor_id: currentExtractorId,
+      output_name: outputName,
+    });
+  };
+
   return (
     <>
       <div>
@@ -831,6 +859,45 @@ function ObjectiveNodeConfig({ node, onChange }: ObjectiveNodeConfigProps) {
           className={inputClass}
         />
       </div>
+
+      <div>
+        <label className={labelClass}>Source Extractor</label>
+        <select
+          value={currentExtractorId}
+          onChange={(e) => handleExtractorChange(e.target.value)}
+          className={selectClass}
+        >
+          <option value="__UNSET__">(not connected)</option>
+          {extractors.map((ext) => (
+            <option key={ext.id} value={ext.id}>
+              {ext.id} — {ext.name}
+            </option>
+          ))}
+        </select>
+      </div>
+
+      <div>
+        <label className={labelClass}>Source Output</label>
+        <select
+          value={currentOutputName}
+          onChange={(e) => handleOutputChange(e.target.value)}
+          className={selectClass}
+          disabled={currentExtractorId === '__UNSET__'}
+        >
+          {currentExtractorId === '__UNSET__' ? (
+            <option value="__UNSET__">(select an extractor)</option>
+          ) : (
+            outputOptions.map((name) => (
+              <option key={name} value={name}>
+                {name}
+              </option>
+            ))
+          )}
+        </select>
+        <p className="text-xs text-dark-500 mt-1">
+          This drives execution. Canvas wires are just a visual check.
+        </p>
+      </div>
       
       <div>
         <label className={labelClass}>Direction</label>
@@ -877,6 +944,33 @@ interface ConstraintNodeConfigProps {
 }
 
 function ConstraintNodeConfig({ node, onChange }: ConstraintNodeConfigProps) {
+  const spec = useSpec();
+  const extractors = spec?.extractors || [];
+
+  const currentExtractorId = node.source?.extractor_id || '__UNSET__';
+  const currentOutputName = node.source?.output_name || '__UNSET__';
+
+  const selectedExtractor = extractors.find((e) => e.id === currentExtractorId);
+  const outputOptions = selectedExtractor?.outputs?.map((o) => o.name) || [];
+
+  const handleExtractorChange = (extractorId: string) => {
+    const ext = extractors.find((e) => e.id === extractorId);
+    const outs = ext?.outputs?.map((o) => o.name) || [];
+    const preferred = outs.includes('value') ? 'value' : outs[0] || '__UNSET__';
+
+    onChange('source', {
+      extractor_id: extractorId,
+      output_name: preferred,
+    });
+  };
+
+  const handleOutputChange = (outputName: string) => {
+    onChange('source', {
+      extractor_id: currentExtractorId,
+      output_name: outputName,
+    });
+  };
+
   return (
     <>
       <div>
@@ -888,6 +982,45 @@ function ConstraintNodeConfig({ node, onChange }: ConstraintNodeConfigProps) {
           className={inputClass}
         />
       </div>
+
+      <div>
+        <label className={labelClass}>Source Extractor</label>
+        <select
+          value={currentExtractorId}
+          onChange={(e) => handleExtractorChange(e.target.value)}
+          className={selectClass}
+        >
+          <option value="__UNSET__">(not connected)</option>
+          {extractors.map((ext) => (
+            <option key={ext.id} value={ext.id}>
+              {ext.id} — {ext.name}
+            </option>
+          ))}
+        </select>
+      </div>
+
+      <div>
+        <label className={labelClass}>Source Output</label>
+        <select
+          value={currentOutputName}
+          onChange={(e) => handleOutputChange(e.target.value)}
+          className={selectClass}
+          disabled={currentExtractorId === '__UNSET__'}
+        >
+          {currentExtractorId === '__UNSET__' ? (
+            <option value="__UNSET__">(select an extractor)</option>
+          ) : (
+            outputOptions.map((name) => (
+              <option key={name} value={name}>
+                {name}
+              </option>
+            ))
+          )}
+        </select>
+        <p className="text-xs text-dark-500 mt-1">
+          This drives execution. Canvas wires are just a visual check.
+        </p>
+      </div>
       
       <div className="grid grid-cols-2 gap-2">
         <div>
@@ -897,24 +1030,37 @@ function ConstraintNodeConfig({ node, onChange }: ConstraintNodeConfigProps) {
             onChange={(e) => onChange('type', e.target.value)}
             className={selectClass}
           >
-            <option value="less_than">&lt; Less than</option>
-            <option value="less_equal">&lt;= Less or equal</option>
-            <option value="greater_than">&gt; Greater than</option>
-            <option value="greater_equal">&gt;= Greater or equal</option>
-            <option value="equal">= Equal</option>
+            <option value="hard">Hard</option>
+            <option value="soft">Soft</option>
           </select>
+          <p className="text-xs text-dark-500 mt-1">Spec type (hard/soft). Operator is set below.</p>
         </div>
         <div>
-          <label className={labelClass}>Threshold</label>
-          <input
-            type="number"
-            value={node.threshold}
-            onChange={(e) => onChange('threshold', parseFloat(e.target.value))}
-            className={inputClass}
-          />
+          <label className={labelClass}>Operator</label>
+          <select
+            value={node.operator}
+            onChange={(e) => onChange('operator', e.target.value)}
+            className={selectClass}
+          >
+            <option value="<=">&lt;=</option>
+            <option value="<">&lt;</option>
+            <option value=">=">&gt;=</option>
+            <option value=">">&gt;</option>
+            <option value="==">==</option>
+          </select>
         </div>
       </div>
 
+      <div>
+        <label className={labelClass}>Threshold</label>
+        <input
+          type="number"
+          value={node.threshold}
+          onChange={(e) => onChange('threshold', parseFloat(e.target.value))}
+          className={inputClass}
+        />
+      </div>
+
     </>
   );
 }
diff --git a/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/lib/validation/specValidator.ts b/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/lib/validation/specValidator.ts
index fee82c17..8ad326fe 100644
--- a/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/lib/validation/specValidator.ts
+++ b/atomizer-dashboard/frontend/src/lib/validation/specValidator.ts
@@ -178,9 +178,14 @@ const validationRules: ValidationRule[] = [
           edge => edge.target === obj.id && edge.source.startsWith('ext_')
         );
         
-        // Also check if source.extractor_id is set
-        const hasDirectSource = obj.source?.extractor_id && 
-          spec.extractors.some(e => e.id === obj.source.extractor_id);
+        // Also check if source.extractor_id is set (and not UNSET placeholders)
+        const extractorId = obj.source?.extractor_id;
+        const outputName = obj.source?.output_name;
+        const hasDirectSource = Boolean(extractorId) &&
+          extractorId !== '__UNSET__' &&
+          Boolean(outputName) &&
+          outputName !== '__UNSET__' &&
+          spec.extractors.some(e => e.id === extractorId);
         
         if (!hasSource && !hasDirectSource) {
           return {